He's Mine
by makuroshi
Summary: Hazuki Nagisa has a secret trait that no one else knew about. He is possessive, sometime extremely so, and he's willing to do anything to protect things that are rightfully his. And that includes Rei-chan. Nagisa/Rei, a multi-chapter story.
1. Chapter 1: Possessive

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

A/N: Episode 5 left me dysfunctional, so I decided to write a little to let off some steam. Hopefully I didn't make Nagisa seem so OOC.

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji. I'm only a fan who watches the anime for the plot. Fufufu~ Who am I kidding, I just love half-naked boys all over each other.

* * *

Hazuki Nagisa has a secret trait that no one else knew about.

He is possessive, and sometimes exceedingly so.

He had first become aware of this quirky dark side of his usually cheerful, bubbly and jovial personality when he was in 5th grade. Standing at only 135cm, the 11 years old Nagisa was one of the shortest boys of his class, if not of the whole school. With a lithe frame and brilliant dark pink irises, his silky blonde locks accentuated his girlish features, making him look even more vulnerable and helpless. Add in an equally feminine name and voila, a perfect target of bullying and harassment.

It was not like Nagisa was too weak to fight back. After all, he _was_ a member of the school's swim team, and a breaststroke swimmer at that, so his upper torso was unquestionably more built and defined than most. He could fight back if he wanted to (and if he did, he might've won), but he had things of far greater importance to accomplish in his life -like training harder for their upcoming relay event- so he always paid the bullies no heed when they whistled at him, called him names (nothing too nasty, just plain 'sissy' or 'loser') or whisper behind his back. In any case, the bullies were a minority; all the other kids loved being around him as his joyful aura was contagious.

They could go on and make fun of his name, jeer at him, taunt or mock him all they want, and Nagisa would simply smile merrily, not one bit miffed or bothered.

But no one, _no one, _messes with his things.

* * *

"Hey, prissy-pants. Mind sharing your lunch with us?"

Nagisa looked up to see four boys towering above him, evil intentions clearly portrayed on their faces. These were the boys who had continuously teased him, but always from far. God knows what made them want to approach him this time around. Maybe luck was just not in his favour.

"Waiting for your swimming seniors again? Hah! You and your girly-named friends must be pretty _chummy_ with each other, huh?

The tallest one snatched away the lunch box from his left hand. Tiny grains of rice fell onto the ground, along with the octopus-shaped sausages, egg rolls and carrot slices his mother had painstakingly carved into little petals of flowers. Nagisa winced involuntarily.

"A girly bentou for a girly boy! Ohhhh, and what's this? A photograph?"

Another boy –lightly freckled and a bit tanned- grabbed his left hand and pried the photograph he had been looking at a few minutes ago away from his grasps. It was the memorial photo of their swimming quartet right after winning the relay, in which Haru-chan looked downright reluctant (but he was quite sure the tsundere freestyle swimmer was happy inside) while Rin-chan and Mako-chan grinned toothily; a sight he would surely come to miss once the three graduates elementary, leaving him lagging behind. Rin-chan would be leaving Japan for Australia soon, so the picture might as well be one of the last he could have of the wine-haired teammate. It was the last event they entered as a relay team too, seeing that Haru-chan had rejected any future plans of relay competitions.

The photograph held many pleasant memories. It was his treasure.

'_This boy i__s going to tear it apart. I know he's going to.'_

In that instant, his heartbeat steadily increased rapidly, anger and irritation contorting his facial muscles that were so accustomed to smiles into making an expression so filled with fury and hatred it felt foreign on his face; almost as if he was a different person altogether. All Nagisa could think of doing was to protect the things he loved, to retrieve what was rightfully _his_.

"Hey. That's _mine_."

* * *

The leader of the group of boys who tried to extort him ended up with 3 broken ribs, a dislocated kneecap and numerous dark violet bruises on his face, and two of his faithful followers suffered from cuts in the mouth, a few missing teeth and arms bent in ways human anatomy would normally never allow. The sole survivor of that fateful encounter in the school backyard –a boy who was just a tad bit taller than him, but with a face like that of a thug- escaped Nagisa's wrath unscathed, but the terror that was etched deep in his memories was more than enough to teach him a lesson.

Never mess with Hazuki Nagisa's possessions.

* * *

As he grew older, Nagisa's extreme sense of protectiveness towards his properties gradually lessened -mainly because he had moved to new vicinity quite a distance from his previous home, away from those imbeciles who provoked him in the first place- but that clenching tightness in his chest and that dull throbbing ache along with the sensation of heated blood rushing to his head every single time he sees someone laying their hands on his things were still there, just not as severe as before.

Moving away also meant getting separated from his dearest friends; Haru-chan, Mako-chan and Rin-chan. Without the friends he had cherished so much, his middle school life was pretty much mundane and mediocre; just fitting in (which he had no problem of doing, thanks to his convivial nature), hitting puberty, growing taller (albeit too little, making him still the shortest boy, much to his dismay) and falling in and out of love. Naturally, the blonde did manage to look less feminine than he used to be, and his nickname morphed from 'sissy' into 'shota' instead. He was quite popular among shota-loving schoolmates, but the relationships he had were nevertheless short-lived.

"Nagisa-kun, I'm sorry… I do think that being selfish and possessive is cute, but you're just... you're just overdoing it."

"What are you saying? I thought we were doing great!"

"I'm really sorry! I just can't keep up with you."

'_Ah… I've done it again. She thinks I was being clingy and overprotective.' _Nagisa looked away for a brief moment, grappling with the smashing reality of being dumped for the 3rd time this month._ 'That's a pity. And she is so cute, too.'_ Recollecting his lost composure, he calmly turned back to the petite brunette in front of him.

"It's okay. I understand." Always, he would _always _repeat the same parting words accompanied with the same template patented 'Nagisa' smile in a pathetic attempt to ease her guilt. The brunette was taken aback by the dazzling smile, almost as if successfully seeing through his little façade and thinking what a shame it was to let go of him. But then she sighed in relief and turned around to leave him after reciprocating the smile, her light blue skirt fluttering in the wind, unknowingly carrying a piece of Nagisa's shattered heart with her.

"Too possessive, huh? Well, I can't change that. It's just the way I am."

Nagisa never allowed himself to fall in love again after that, that was until he entered high school and met Ryugazaki Rei.

* * *

A/N: This is inspired by the scene where Rei wore Nagisa's speedo, making all hormonal fangirls think that Nagisa is openly marking Rei as his :3 It will be a multi-chapter, hopefully reaching up to 10 chapters. It'll mainly comprise of Nagisa yearning for Rei's love, chasing after the megane with undeterred passion and getting all possessive over him. Any comments? Requests on what you would like to see? Reviews are welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2: Touch

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Here's chapter 2, slightly longer than the previous and focusing more on their early interactions.

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji. I own nothing: I'm just a fan sharing my mediocre stories with others ;)

* * *

The arrival of the anticipated spring had finally brought along the first day of his high school years, and Nagisa was thrilled to be able to meet his long-lost childhood friends again. He had sneakily kept his enrollment into Iwatobi High School a secret from Haru-chan and Mako-chan in hopes of surprising them, and although the feeling of not being able to share his excitement with someone was frustrating, it was definitely going to be worth it once he got to see the perplexed look on their faces. When his parents broke the news that they were going to move back to their old house, Nagisa had already set his eyes on entering the same school with his ex-teammates, and the entrance examination results enabled him to do so, much to his delight.

With one last look at the mirror (in truth, Nagisa was also a closet narcisscist), he left his house to make his way to the train station, humming softly to himself and skipping in joy. The curious looks given by passers-by were replied with the chipper blonde's own signature smile, and the strangers almost automatically smiled back. After all, one could not possibly hate someone with a smile often described as rivaling the brightness of the sunshine.

The first period was homeroom, and although Nagisa had prayed extremely hard for his name to not be misinterpreted as that of a girl, his homeroom teacher -who apparently doubled as their counselor- regrettably did just that.

"Hazuki Nagisa-san?"

Nagisa sighed in exasperation. _'The suffix was supposed to be –kun instead of –san…'_ Nevertheless, he pushed any remnants of negative thinking aside and flashed the brightest smile he could deliver, raising his right hand in feigned enthusiasm.

"I'm here, sensei! And despite having a girl's name, I am actually a boy!"

As expected, a majority of the class erupted in a full-blown collective laughter, gleeful eyes casting sympathizing looks (some with hints of disbelief) at him as the flustered teacher apologized profusely at her mistake. Nagisa could only hope that he wouldn't end up being the butt of jokes just like he had been in elementary school. The teacher continued reading out the names on the list, until she reached the last few.

"Ryugazaki Rei-san?"

Nagisa was twirling his golden locks in idleness, staring blankly at the blackboard, almost lost in his train of thoughts (mostly comprising of how he desperately wanted to meet Mako-chan and Haru-chan already) and he barely noticed the baritone voice answering the teacher's call.

"That's me. And it's Ryugazaki Rei–_**kun**_…"

Snapping his head to the left towards the source of that deep voice, Nagisa widened his magenta eyes at the sight of an obviously-not-female, broad-chested bespectacled boy frowning and grimacing. The said boy was certainly not amused after being mistaken for a girl. On the other hand, Nagisa could not have been any happier to find another person who shared the same fate as him.

Rei ignored the laughters around him, but then he noticed someone staring at him at the far corner of his eyes. It was that other boy with a girly name. Rei huffed and turned away, breaking the brief eye contact they had in favour of listening to what the teacher had to say next. Nonetheless, he couldn't help thinking that the blonde boy did look slightly androgynous anyway and that 'Nagisa' (which meant beach) did somehow fit in the picture, unlike in his case.

* * *

When the recess bell rang, Nagisa wasted no time and immediately went on a search for Makoto and Haruka around the unfamiliar school compound. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom as it was mid-April, and the light pink petals falling ever so gracefully to cover the grounds, accompanied with the gentle spring breeze, completed the enchanting scenery. His other classmates had begun forming cliques and utilizing the time to make new friends as well as enjoying the beautiful panorama, but he figured that he could do that later.

In his clumsy haste, he had accidentally bumped into a few people but he managed to find the duo walking side by side (like they always did ever since they were little, really, those sweethearts) in the school corridor, possibly heading towards the canteen.

"Haru-chaaaan! Mako-chaaaaan!"

It was probably unwise of him to glomp the pair right in the middle of a busy hallway because the flow of students was momentarily disrupted by the act, but Nagisa could not contain the joy at seeing his childhood friends after so long. He was never one to think before he act, anyway.

Makoto -the most sensible of the three- brought them to a less crowded place (which was of course the rooftop), and they had a lot of catching up done. Haruka was constantly changing the topic when the subject of Rin was brought up, though, so not much was said about the claret-haired boy.

"Wait, what do you mean there's no swimming club in Iwatobi High?!"

"It means what it means. That pool had been abandoned for god knows how long." There was a tinge of disappointment and sorrow in Haruka's reply, and both Makoto and Nagisa knew better than to provoke him further. Haruka must have had been utterly saddened by the fact that he could not swim freely like he did back then, even more so than Nagisa, whose purpose of coming to Iwatobi was to swim with his friends again.

"How about… we create a swimming club? It will be fun! The three of us together again!"

"It's troublesome."

"But Haru-chaaaaannn~~"

Makoto chuckled at his two friends' banter. '_It__ feels like the old times again.'_

"Hmmm, that sounds great to me… Don't worry, I'll bring this up to the teacher in charge."

They were disillusioned though, when Makoto found out from the teacher that the club needed 4 members before being acknowledged by the school.

* * *

Dejected and upset, Nagisa felt the ray of hope getting dimmer with each passing day as he tried (and failed) countless times to persuade his fellow first years to join the currently non-existent swim club. None of them was interested, not even one, and Nagisa wondered how one could possibly detest a sport so exciting and entertaining as swimming. Swimming was one of the few things he enjoyed wholeheartedly as each stroke he took, each kick he made, actually helped him to forget all the woes and miseries of this world. When he was swimming, the water became _**his**__ stage, __**his**__ playground _and _**his **__alone_, and Nagisa loved that; he could be possessive as much as he wants.

A week passed and his attempts were still to no avail. Makoto and Haruka could not do much to help as the other second years were already associated with their own respective clubs, so it was up to Nagisa to find a fourth member.

On a particular day, Nagisa was on his hunt again when he spotted a familiar silhouette running laps around the school track before leaving the training grounds and heading towards the school gate.

"Ah, it's Rei-chan. He's practicing again, huh…" Nagisa's eyes trailed the azure-haired boy's every step. "What an interesting guy! He seems like a good candidate~" With renewed determination and curiousity, Nagisa ran at full speed to catch up with the other. Rei was already about 100m away from the school vicinity when the golden haired boy managed to approach him.

"Do you need something from me?" Rei stopped abruptly in his track and asked with a puzzled look, feeling a bit annoyed at having his evening physical training session interrupted.

"I just want to run with you, Rei-chan! We're heading in the same direction, right? I saw you taking the same train this morning!" The beaming smile directed at him did not do anything to compensate Rei's shock at hearing the sickeningly cute (and unbearably girlish) nickname.

"I beg your pardon, what did you just call me?"

"Rei-chan!"

"And why, pray tell, are you calling me that?"

"Well, I think it fits you!"

Something is wrong with this kid. Rei could not pinpoint what, but his intelligent mind was screaming "get the heck away from him!" However, Nagisa's dazzling smile was captivating in a confuzzling, mysterious way, and minutes later, Rei found himself running along the course of the streets with a bubbly companion right beside him. Rei reluctantly admitted inwardly that the chatters (mostly one-sided) did somehow make the journey feel much less taxing and tiring.

On the other hand, Nagisa was slowly regretting his decision to run in his complete school attire. He had taken his blazer off, but unlike Rei-chan (who was clad in a more comfortable white and red jersey and wearing suitable running shoes), the weight of his clothes and the constricting school shoes were slowing him down significantly. He did not stop talking though; he couldn't stop once he opened his mouth.

"And guess what, Rei-chan, I ate four pizzas on my own, can you belie-oof!"

The inevitable happened. Nagisa tripped and fell down in his clumsy dash while trying to avoid getting left behind. The certainly not graceful fall earned him a scratched knee, scraped palms and a red face from embarrassment.

'_Falling so pathetically… Ahhhh Rei-chan must think I'm so weak!'_ Nagisa had his pride –he was a boy, after all- and it was wounded considerably from the incident. He was only getting to know Rei, and that undoubtedly did not leave a good impression.

He was just about to stand on his own when he heard scuffles of shoes and saw a large hand extended to him. Rei was offering help, violet eyes glaring and handsome face scowling in anger and irritation, but Nagisa did not miss the slight hint of worry in his expression.

"See? Didn't I tell you that there's ultimately a higher than 95% chance that you'll slow me down, especially with that attire?"

Hearing no reply, Rei looked down to see the dark pink orbs usually shining with excitement now glazed in guilt and shame. _'This kid was so cheerful back then, and now he's giving me this look…'_ Sighing softly, he pulled Nagisa up, causing the other to stagger to find his balance.

"It can't be helped… Let's walk instead."

"Rei-chan… I'm sorr-"

"Save it. It's no big deal."

The calloused hand that held onto his much smaller one tugged them forward, and the two walked the last stretch to the train station in silence. Nagisa knew that Rei was just being nice to him and trying to prevent him from weighing him down, but the grip felt so natural, almost as if Rei's hand _belonged _right there. At times like these, the blonde would have disturbed the calming silence with another endless string of words, but Nagisa could not come up with anything worth saying; the warmth spreading from his left hand -slowly inching upwards and covering his whole person in an unidentified feeling of bliss he could not quite fathom- was far too distracting. In fact, the pulsing heartbeats, the lump forming in his throat and the giddiness he felt were so distracting (and amplified tenfold when he had to sit next to Rei in the train for the lack of other seats, the occasional brushes of their shoulders making it worse), that by time they reached the fork that separated their paths, he still did not realize that he had yet to ask Rei-chan about the swim club.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Take care... N-nagisa-kun." And with that the tall figure disappeared behind the rows of houses, leaving behind a confused Nagisa still clutching his hand as if holding onto that fading warmth.

Nagisa didn't understand how such a simple gesture (and from another boy, no less) had rendered him so stunned and entranced. All he knew was that the emotion he had thought he would never experience again was slowly but surely returning.

_'Ah... Maybe I'm falling in love.'_

* * *

A/N: I like to think that Nagisa is one who easily falls in love, but once he's in love, it's not easy for him to fall out of it. It's that feeling of "Ah.. He's the one." I personally have never felt that before, though. :P This chapter lacks action but it's building the story (or so I think~). Hope you liked it! Reviews/comments/criticisms are welcomed!


	3. Chapter 3: Beautiful

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

A/N: Here's chapter 3 for ya! A tad bit fluffier than the previous ones~

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji. I'm just a fujoshi doing what fujoshis do best: SHIPPING.

* * *

"No."

"Awwww, why not, Rei-chan?" The blonde nudged Rei's shoulder with his head repeatedly, making a whiny sound that piqued the interests of a few other students in the cafeteria.

"It's a hideous sport. There's no beauty in it! Don't you ever see those monstrous faces swimmers make when they're desperate for a taste of oxygen?! " Rei's arms flail in an exaggerated gesture, while Nagisa pouted slightly. For the past few days, he had been loyally following Rei around (much like a little puppy would), trying to convince the other to join the swim club. He was almost at his limit, though. Usually he would always get what he wanted with a couple of cute expressions and annoying whines, but remarkably, none of his tactics was working on Rei.

"But Rei-chaaaaannn~ you'll get to see me in sexy swimming trunks!"

Rei choked, coughing out bits of half-chewed sandwich and grabbing the nearest cup of water to drink down the huge lump in his throat. The observant side of Nagisa noted that Rei had accidentally taken his orange juice and he squealed inwardly, thrilled at the idea of stealing an indirect kiss from his current crush. The bespectacled boy gulped the whole cup down and struggled to breathe normally before finally turning back to Nagisa.

"That's all the more reason _not _to join your swim club, Nagisa-kun."

"But you like beautiful things right? Don't you think I'm beautiful, hmmm, Rei-chan?"

It was meant to be a teasing statement, like all of the other flirtatious remarks he often said to him, and Nagisa thought that Rei was aware of that too, but apparently the blue-haired boy took that question seriously. Rei's violet eyes scanned Nagisa from top to bottom, scrutinizing every detail and landing upon his own pinkish orbs, as if staring right into his soul. Nagisa felt his heartbeat quicken and his face heating up. He wanted to look away and brush the question off as another silly joke of his but he couldn't, not when those mesmerizing pair of lilacs was watching him with such intense gaze. Rei finally broke the eye contact after a few moments, pushing up his red-rimmed glasses in that elegant and sophisticated way, like he always did when he came to a conclusion after much thinking.

"I can't deny that you _are _beautiful in a way… well, maybe not exactly fitting _my_ criteria of beautiful but I suppose you are, in a strangely cute way."

Nagisa felt his fragile heart do a backflip and a couple of somersault twists upon hearing Rei's reply, and it turned out that Rei had just came to his senses as well because his eyes widened considerably and he covered his mouth and half of his face, trying to grasp the reality of his own words. Looking at anything but Nagisa's face, he stuttered while attempting to cover up his embarrassing half-confession.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't… W-we should get back to class."

Both of them shared the same blush, though Rei's was more obvious; spreading a lovely crimson hue up till the tip of his ears. Nagisa stole a glance at Rei before nodding and rising from his seat, silently hoping no one else was watching them because that extremely cute expression of Rei's should only be seen by him.

Just on cue, the school bell rang, signaling the end of their break and the other students scurried back to their respective classrooms. The pair joined the crowd, but Rei grabbed Nagisa's hand and tugged on it a bit to catch the other's attention.

"Nagisa-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Forget what I said, okay?"

Nagisa smiled sweetly and did not answer.

'_Silly Rei-chan… How could I ever forget that?'_

* * *

Rei thought that things would be awfully awkward after his weird blurt out, but thankfully, Nagisa was back to his usual self in no time. Regrettably, that meant that the cheerful swimmer was back on track in his 'Recruiting Rei-chan' quest and Rei had wished that he owned a pair of earplugs just so he could barely keep his sanity intact.

"Care to explain why are you walking with me right now, Nagisa-kun?"

"We _always_ go back together, Rei-chan!"

"That applies to the path from school to the train station and then the train ride, which normally take approximately 21 minutes. You, on the other hand, have been walking beside me for an extra 5 minutes."

"Hmmm… So what's so strange about that, Rei-chan?"

"What I'm implying is that your house," Rei pointed one slender finger at the other side of the road, "is _that_ way, if my memory recalled correctly."

It was common knowledge that Rei's memory was superb (judging from the astounding number of formulas he used on daily basis, really, he calculates _everything_) and he never stored any incorrect input in his mind. Every day, the two of them would separate at the fork just a stone's throw away from the station they got off from, and now even that junction was already far behind them. He could also easily see through Nagisa's sly ways of talking non-stop to prevent Rei from suspecting that something was wrong, so there was no mistaking it; Nagisa was following him home.

"Well… I thought I could have a sleepover at your house!"

Rei halted abruptly, eyes throwing a shocked and incredulous look. The methods through which Nagisa's simplistic thinking was downright mind-boggling, so much so that Rei had the sudden urge to slice the boy's brain open and observe the cerebrum cells under a microscope to unravel the mysteries behind how absurd and preposterous he could ever get.

"And _when_ exactly did I agree to this proposition of yours?"

"You never did, but fret no more, Rei-chan! I phoned home and told my mom that I'll be spending the night at a friend's house! Besides, tomorrow is a Saturday."

And Nagisa used his ultimate weapon – that irresistible, devilish yet charming smile of his. Rei was dead sure that the petite blonde had planned this all along.

A severe headache was coming on; Rei could already feel the veins in his temples throbbing and threatening to pop out._ 'I really stand no chance against this guy…'_ Accepting the inevitable, he opted to stalk off to his house in irritation, secretly hoping that Nagisa would somehow trip on his way and fall down like the other day, this time only to never get up again.

* * *

After much bickering and squabbling, Rei dejectedly found himself stuck in a room with a very loud and talkative Nagisa, and he was more infuriated when he recalled how enthusiastic his mother was when he introduced Nagisa and explained the circumstances of his unexpected visit.

"Ohhh, this is wonderful! It is the first time Rei has brought someone home. Not to mention an adorable one at that!"

Rei's mother ruffled Nagisa's pale hair (with hands as warm as Rei's, Nagisa thought absent-mindedly), and her violet eyes sparkled in delight. Her smile was sincere and earnest, and Nagisa couldn't help but to imagine how Rei-chan would look like with that same smile replacing his scowl.

"Mom, you're making me sound so unsociable and introverted."

"But you are, my dear child! And your friend here will take good care of you and change that, right, Nagisa-kun?"

The cheery boy chimed in an overly eager "Yes, don't worry, leave it to me!" and nodded vigorously. Rei sighed and proceeded to climb the wooden stairs leading to his room, wanting nothing more than to sleep in the comfort of his bed.

Alas, it was a task which, of course, proved rather impossible when you have a temporary roommate as boisterous and bouncy as Nagisa.

Taking a glance at the silver wall clock (its digital LED digits flashing a glaring 1.46 A.M), Rei finally rolled around to face Nagisa, who was, goddamnit, still _talking_ in the wee hours in the morning. Ryugazaki Rei rarely curses, but when he does, it is because of an unwanted Hazuki Nagisa intruding his personal space.

"And then, Rin-chan made the final turn and he was soooo fast we were screami—"

"Nagisa-kun."

"Yes, Rei-chan?"

"Why are you casually wearing my pajamas? Why are you hogging the blanket and sleeping next to me in my bed? And why are you still babbling when it's already almost 2 freaking AM?!"

Rei's screeching voice was raised in a tone reserved for nagging at Nagisa, and the latter smiled sheepishly and snuggled closer. Rei desperately brushed off the thought of how much of a perfect fit was Nagisa's head in the crook of his neck, wanting to focus on his anger instead.

"I didn't bring spare clothes... You don't have extra guest futon either. And I'm trying to describe the joys of swimming, so you'll be interested in joining the swim club!"

At that very moment, the azure-haired boy didn't know whether to laugh at blonde' ridiculously childish persuasive ways or cry at his stolen bed, blanket and privacy, but he let out a sound that was a mix of the two and gritted his teeth. _'So he really won't stop until I agree…'_

"Fine."

"Fine what, Rei-chan?"

Nagisa gazed up at Rei -glittering pink eyes, fluttering eyelashes, soft plump lips and round cheeks only dimly illuminated by the light coming from the table lamp- and Rei looked away, flustered as the words he had said in the morning crossed his minds once again.

"Fine, I'll enter this swim club of yours." Rei's left hand tried to shift non-existent glasses on his nose.

The bundle of warmth next to him shifted and the next thing he knew, Nagisa had thrown his arms around him in a suffocating hug, burying his face in his chest.

"Rei-chan, are you serious? I'm so so soooooooo happy thank you so much!"

In a lumbering, amateurish and half-hearted attempt of reciprocating an affectionate body language he rarely took part in, Rei lifted a trembling arm and placed his palm on the small back of Nagisa's, patting awkwardly (later he was sure that the patting was unnecessary, because Nagisa let out a small chuckle at that) and feeling oddly calm in the sudden embrace. They stayed like that for a few breaths; just enough for Nagisa to snap out of his jubilant state and for Rei to stop thinking of what kind of mess was he signing up for.

Finally, Nagisa released his tight hold and returned to his previous position; his head resting in the crook of Rei's neck, little puffs of air tickling the other boy slightly. The ambience of the room was definitely changing into something Rei couldn't quite catch -but their perfectly timed heartbeat resounded in sync and the relaxing warmth engulfing him was slowly lulling him to sleep- and Rei _almost_ ran out of things to complain about; until Nagisa decided to open his mouth again.

"Hey, can you follow me tomorrow, Rei-chan? I want you to meet Haru-chan and Mako-chan."

That made Rei rolled his eyes. _'Oh great. Just great. God forbid that there will be more weirdos. I've already got my hands full with this one.'_

And so that night Nagisa fell asleep with a satisfied smile etched onto his face (the kind of goofy smile you have when you get something you've always wanted) while Rei shivered, tossed and turned the whole time after unsuccessfully struggling to wrestle the blanket out of Nagisa's strong grasps. He was also violently awoken by a clawing swipe to his face and a swift kick to his torso just minutes after dozing off, courtesy of the breaststroke swimmer's aggressive sleeping habits.

'_Oh god __I'll __**never **__let this kid sleep over,'_ Rei grudgingly swore. _ '__**Never again**__'.  
_

* * *

A/N: I've never had a sleepover before, so I don't really know what people do when sleeping at a friend's house (lol). Next few chapters will finally elaborate more on Nagisa's possessiveness and jealousy. Thank you for the follows, favs and reviews! I'll try my best to update this as often as I can. Reviews/comments/criticisms/suggestions are welcomed with open arms! ;)


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

A/N: Sorry for the late update! Here's chapter 4~

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji. You'll never want me to own an anime, it would signal a catastrophe.

* * *

Morning came, and the sun rays were already slowly seeping through the small gap between the drawn curtains, illuminating the room with little light. It was a Saturday, and for most people, Saturdays are meant for sleeping in, but the same did not apply to Ryugazaki Rei. Had it been the usual, Rei would have woken up at 7 AM sharp, mind fully alert and liberated from any traces of drowsiness and lethargy, and ready for his routine physical training regime. However, today was unlike any other, because the previous night had witnessed Rei unable to get a wink of sleep. By the crack of dawn, he was already beyond exhausted.

The cause was, of course, the petite blonde currently snoring right beside him, mouth slightly ajar and limbs spread wide open like a goddamn starfish.

Rei glanced at the bunched up blanket pooling around Nagisa's foot and grumbled. _'If you're going to kick the blanket away like that, might as well give it to me and I would put it to good use!' _The bespectacled boy had long since noticed that everything about Nagisa irked him one way or another. Nagisa was clingy and overly touchy-feely, and on top of that, he was a glutton (who in their right minds would eat more than 4 slices of pizza in a sitting) and a messy eater. Unfortunately, as of last night, the list of Nagisa's characteristics that vexed and bothered Rei to no end just got longer with the addition of his hostile sleeping behavior.

Rei disliked things that were not beautiful, and normally one would not classify Nagisa as a beautiful person.

But when the said boy turned over to face Rei –oversized pajama shirt riding up his abdomen, exposing a teasing strip of skin, and messy golden locks framing his round face almost too perfectly- Rei felt his heart flutter a little. Nagisa stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes just a crack to reveal glazed magenta orbs, and Rei's breath hitched in his throat as he watched the other trying to overcome sleep and rubbing his eyes groggily in that adorable way. The sight _almost_ made the blue-haired boy question himself of the true meaning of beauty, and for an ephemeral instance, Rei had a fleeting thought that he would not mind waking up to this sight every day.

It was beautiful.

"G'morning, Rei-chan…"

Rei finally snapped out of his entranced state and blushed a bit upon realizing that he had been staring. _'Wait wait wait what was I even thinking…'_

"Good morning, Nagisa-kun." Rei replied with a gruff voice, still worn out from the lack of sleep.

Apparently, Nagisa was not much of a morning person, because within seconds, he was already snuggling back into Rei's chest, arms and legs draping around him, not wanting to get up and leave just yet. The childish act made Rei roll his eyes and push the other away, prying Nagisa off and earning himself a long dragged out whine in response.

"Why are you the one wanting more sleep? I was the one who couldn't sleep last night!"

"Awww, come on, Rei-chan… Just a few minutes more…"

"No. It is already 9 in the morning, and scientific studies have proven that the time frame from 8 to 11 is the most ideal for any outdoor activities as the sunlight will provide the optimal concentration of UV rays vital for production of vitamin D in human skin. Besides, sleeping for excessive hours might lead to a dysfunctional melatonin regulation system, so you should…—NAGISA-KUN ARE YOU LISTENING?!"

Nagisa's only response was a muffled incomprehensible mumble.

"Nagisa-kun, you said something along the lines of introducing me to your friends." Rei was sure he would regret reminding Nagisa of the earlier plan, but that was what it took to rouse the other from his slumber. The blonde's eyes shot open and sparkled in delight and excitement.

"Ah, that's right! I wanted to bring you to meet Haru-chan and Mako-chan!"

"Seriously, it is a necessity for you to address every one with a –chan?"

"It's not, but I thought that names sound cuter that way!"

"It is still rude, Nagisa-kun… But let's not go there. Would you please let go now? I need to take a bath."

After hearing Rei's words, Nagisa reluctantly released his hold and watched as Rei got up and headed towards the bathroom, grabbing a nearby towel in the process. As his eyes followed Rei's every languid and graceful step, a mischievous smirk crept onto Nagisa's face but he immediately masked it with the usual innocent façade. He stood up too, and approached Rei who was just about to enter the bathroom.

"Hey Rei-chan..."

"What now, Nagisa-kun?"

"Can we bathe together?"

Nagisa's suggestive inquiry was met with a door forcibly slammed in his face.

* * *

Out of all the places available for meeting up, this 'Haru-chan' guy whom Nagisa always talked fondly about was the one who insisted on the public pool, and Rei had no other option but to comply, albeit with an unwilling heart. The venue seemed to be a reasonable choice as well, considering the fact that it was a _swimming club_ that they were going to establish. However, there was something about pools that put Rei at unease, something about the large amount of water that burdened his heart with worry and anxiety.

It was not as if he hated water or was scared of it or anything, no, it was in reality quite the opposite. He enjoyed watching the white waves crashing down, the crystal clear liquid reflecting the vast sky in that mesmerizing blue hue and the way the surface of puddles on the road ripples when hit with each drop of rain. It made him feel serene and tranquil, but he only liked watching from far. Being _in _the water, however, was something he did not look forward to.

Because Ryugazaki Rei did not know how to swim.

"Nagisa-kun, are we going to swim today?" Rei asked, turning to his side to look at the blonde who was walking next to him in a relaxed pace. _'Please answer no please no swimming please…'_

Unfortunately, Rei's prayers (though had been repeated like a mantra) were not heard, because Nagisa's reply was an overly joyous "Of course we would, Rei-chan! That is the whole point, you see!"

The glasses-wearing boy had wanted to turn fast on his heels to flee for his life, to get away from the pool and the 'Haru-chan and Mako-chan' people whom he was absolutely positive would be as creepy and eccentric as Nagisa, and just go home and bury his face in calculus books instead. But then Nagisa was already announcing their arrival at the public pool, and Rei had never felt such despair in his life.

"Rei-chan, we're here already! Let's go search for them, okay?"

Rei could not utter a proper response and merely allowed himself being dragged forward by a thrilled Nagisa, all the while visualizing the worst case scenario. Birds of a feather flock together, so it wouldn't be a surprise if Nagisa's two friends acted similarly. _That _he could still probably handle as he was already getting accustomed to Nagisa's antics, but if one of them suddenly came up with an idea of testing Rei's swimming capabilities… That would be a different story altogether, and the outcome was most definitely not desirable.

"Nagisa! Over here!"

The pair turned towards the source of the voice, and Rei's violet eyes lit up upon seeing two perfectly normal looking boys clad in casual clothes standing in front of a nearby bathroom stall. One of them -the greenish haired with a gentle smile- waved slightly while the other stared at the water with a longing heated gaze (akin to that of a rapist, Rei thought with a shudder). Nagisa waved back enthusiastically and in a matter of seconds, the breaststroke swimmer was gone from Rei's side. He latched onto his two friends, hugging them as if it was their first meeting after a hundred years.

When Makoto and Haruka introduced themselves (the latter still with a sour face), Rei was relieved to see no signs of abnormal behavior, although he was quite taken aback by the fact that they were his seniors. He would never have guessed that Nagisa's friends were actually a year older than them.

"Are we done with this? I am going to swim now." Haruka interrupted their little ice-breaking session with impatience evident in his tone, seemingly directing the statement to no one in particular. And then, in a series of unbelievably expeditious course of actions, the black-haired boy stripped down to his swimsuit and leaped into the crystal clear water, disappearing underneath the surface.

Staring with eyes wide open at the spot where Haruka had once stood, Rei gaped like a goldfish, unable to digest the scene he had just witnessed. To make matters worse, Haruka had yet to resurface even after 15 seconds had passed.

"There is no need to worry, Ryugazaki-kun. Haru had always been like that… He is infatuated with water." Makoto, who seemed to have been able to read the pressing questions Rei had in mind, tried to explain the situation.

"You mean, he is in love with water? As in _romantically_?"

"Well, you could say that… But Haru-chan's love is more like an obsession! Water is like his center of gravity. It's normal to see him being underwater for a reaaaaaaaaally long time!" Nagisa replied with a smile.

'_Dear lord… just what part of this is normal? He is a total freak. A weirdo! A hydro-maniac!'_ Of course, for the sake of courteousness and being polite, Rei kept his thoughts to himself.

* * *

Despite the worst first impression he had of Haruka, Rei couldn't deny that he was feeling a tad bit curious about the freestyle swimmer (Nagisa told him that Haru-chan only swims freestyle for some profound reasons), so while listening to Nagisa chatting away with Makoto, his eyes wandered towards the pool, trailing Haruka's every movement. The pool was a bit too crowded but there was still sufficient room to do some lap training in the 50m stretch of water. Haruka had reappeared on the surface a few minutes ago, opting to float and be drifted following the flow of water instead.

The moment when Haruka stopped floating statically and started swimming towards the other end of the pool was when things took a 360 turn. Rei immediately found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. There were grace and elegance in every stroke, and the way Haruka's body glided through the water was swift, stunning and truly the epitome of beauty that he had always been looking for in sports.

"How did he move so effortlessly? The forward propulsion is amazing! Water's viscosity should have made it extremely difficult to steal a breath and still move that quick. Unless he is a natural genius in this…"

"Haru _is _certainly gifted, especially in freestyle. His catch and pull techniques are the best." The way Makoto-senpai talked about Haruka-senpai with a hint of admiration and affection in his ever-smiling expression sent off a signal that maybe, just maybe, there was something more between them. Nevertheless, Rei brushed it off in favour of thinking of something far more important.

If someone could look this beautiful while swimming, then Rei would want to rise up to that level, too.

Rei was too preoccupied in observing the freestyle swimmer's moves and making mental notes, that he was not aware of Nagisa staring at him from the corner of his eyes, casting a look that was a mixture of distress and jealousy.

* * *

Nagisa was getting upset, but he didn't say anything about it. He had noticed Rei-chan's astonished and amazed look directed towards Haru-chan. He knew he was behaving irrationally by being jealous of Haru-chan… Haru-chan was his best friend, for god's sake! But he still couldn't avoid the sudden surge of envy washing over him. The painful clenching of his heart felt familiar...

'_Rei-chan had never had that expression when he was with me… Why is he looking at Haru-chan that way?'_

* * *

"I don't like swimming here. It's too packed." Haruka said nonchalantly, drying his raven hair with a towel. The lanes were getting more and more crammed full, much to his distaste. He could not swim freely without bumping into someone else anymore, so he called it quits and joined the group, listening apathetically to whatever it was they were discussing.

"I agree that the public pool is not the best place to practice… We really need to fix our school's pool, don't we?" Makoto looked at Haru to gauge any reply or reaction but the other remained straight-faced.

"We don't have the money." Haruka said in a-matter-of-fact tone.

Indeed, money was a major problem, especially for a bunch of high school students. To rely solely on the budget supplied by Iwatobi High for new clubs was a hopeless notion; the amount was so meager it could only afford them a pack of plaster for the cracked walls.

They went silent for a while (trying to come up with an idea to generate money enough for repairing works) until Nagisa's eyes brightened in a way Rei knew could only mean that ridiculous ideas had formed in that tiny head of his.

"How about we ask Ama-chan to recommend us for some swimwear modeling jobs? It might not give us much but it's still something!"

Much to Rei's surprise and agony, Makoto -who was seemingly the most levelheaded one- agreed to the nonsensical suggestion, and Haruka did too (after some coaxing involving "But you'll get to swim anytime you want, Haru!"), leaving Rei to finally regret his decision to join the swimming club.

At the brink of collapsing under the intense pressure of hopeful gazes from the three boys (especially Nagisa), Rei could only nod weakly in agreement and wait for the impending apocalypse involving swimming trunks and speedos.

_'This is going to be disastrous...'  
_

* * *

A/N: Yay for swimming suit modelling! Nothing is more exciting than hot well-built men clad in skimpy speedos~ I realised halfway that this chapter was more of a Rei POV. Next ones will probably be more from Nagisa's angle. Oh, and have you heard that Makoto finished 2nd in the poll 'Male Anime Characters Male Otakus Would Go Gay For'? That speaks volumes of how attractive half naked swimmers are :P Hope you liked this chapter, and I apologize again for the delay. Reviews are welcomed! :)


	5. Chapter 5: Flawless

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji.

* * *

Thanks to Nagisa and Makoto's amazing persuasion, Amakata-sensei had recommended their names to the swimwear designer she was once acquainted with (or rather, worked for), and the man had agreed immediately. However, the poor guy must had mistaken them for being girls judging from their names, because the shocked look he had upon seeing four boys entering his working space was absolutely priceless.

"You're Amakata-chan's students?!"

The boys nodded, and the horrified expression on his face worsened.

"B-but I thought you were girls!" His voice screeched. It was obvious that he was disappointed, feeling that he had been conned. Here he was, expecting to have landed a good catch consisting of high school girls endowed with nice racks, pearly white skin and soft silky locks, but these boys Amakata-chan had sent defied his wishful imaginations.

"Trust me, we get that a lot. It's really just our luck." Makoto smiled apologetically. The middle-aged man stopped whining and stared at them with judgmental eyes; his brownish orbs scrutinizing, skimming up and down each of their bodies. Rei swore that the guy surely had X-ray vision of some sort, because as soon as those lecherous eyes landed on him, the designer's facial expression morphed into one that was creepy and perverted, like he had some naughty ideas in mind.

Rei was not wrong, not at all.

"Hey, you… Come over here for a sec. The others can go to that changing room. The photographer will give you further instructions."

Nagisa almost instantly went into protective mode, not wanting to be separated from his Rei-chan. After all, the impish look that old fart had when he saw Rei did not go unnoticed. He wanted to follow them, but the violet-eyed boy gave a look that said "I'll be fine". Nagisa still could not chase away the worry and uneasiness he felt (the old guy was _ogling _Rei-chan for crying out loud!) but decided that he'd trust Rei's words.

* * *

Makoto and Nagisa were halfway through changing into their respective swimming trunks, while Haruka was inside the studio, already posing for photos when Rei entered the room with a handful of vividly colourful garments. A few of them were in dark hues and most were painted with bright colours (there was even a jarring neon green one) but all shared a common characteristic: they were all speedos. _Tiny, scanty and uncomfortable-looking_ _**speedos**. _He dropped the bunch on a dressing table and picked one up, scrunching his face in utter repulsion.

"Is he kidding me? Did he expect me to wear _this_?" Rei complained exasperatedly, holding up a striking red and white striped speedo between the tips of his fingers as if it was something disgusting and revolting.

"Don't you think it's a good thing, Rei-chan? It means that the designer thinks you're sexy enough to wear those!" Nagisa winked playfully at him and Rei grumbled in frustration.

It was bad enough that he had to agree to Nagisa's preposterous idea of modeling for swimwear. To make matters worse, now he was the only one stuck with _speedos_, while his other three teammates were given much less revealing swimming trunks.

"By the way, Rei-chan… Did he… _touch _you, or anything?" For some reason, Nagisa's smile had faltered, only to be replaced with a concerned expression instead.

"What?! No, of course not!"

The breaststroke swimmer sighed in relief. _'If he dares to even lay a finger on my Rei-chan… I will probably castrate him.' _

"Next, please!" The photographer's voice rang from the studio and Haruka appeared (clad in a black swimming trunk with purple strips on it… _'Wait, didn't he wear a similar one that time at the pool?!'_), taking lazy steps before plopping down on the bench. He tapped Makoto lightly on the shoulder to signal that it was his turn. The taller one nodded and stood up to get his photo taken.

When Makoto left, Rei expected that the freestyle swimmer would proceed into changing back to his casual clothes, but the latter remained seated.

"Umm, Haruka-senpai? Are you not going to change now that you're done?"

"No need for it. I am going for a swim later." The black-haired boy answered curtly.

"Oh." Rei was rendered speechless. It was clear that Haruka-senpai's obsession with the two molecules of hydrogen bonded to single oxygen had reached a critical and precarious stage. There was no cure to it.

"Now, now, Rei-chan… Hurry up and chaaaaange!" The cheerful blonde pushed him towards one of the stalls with a grin on his face. To tell the truth, Nagisa was extremely curious to see how Rei-chan would look like when donned in complete swimming attire. He had imagined how Rei-chan's flawless velvety skin would glisten with beads of water and how his wet dark blue hair would appear mussed and disheveled after a swim. When he saw the anxious look on Rei's face, his grin transformed into a small reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Rei-chan. You look beautiful in anything that you wear."

That made Rei's cheeks heat up involuntarily, but he managed to grudgingly grab a piece of red swim brief before disappearing behind the curtains.

* * *

'_Again, he is teasing me with these embarrassing words… Has he no shame when saying it to me? Surely he didn't mean what he says…'_

While changing into the offensive red speedo that barely covered anything (with much difficulty, really, how does one fit into these?!), Rei thought of Nagisa's words. Though he was getting used to receiving these little compliments from the hyperactive boy on daily basis, he still couldn't completely get rid of the lukewarm blush creeping onto his face whenever he hears them. It made his heart race for no reason at all, and Rei hated not being able to explain a phenomenon scientifically. The first time he felt his heart threatening to leap out of his ribcages when one day Nagisa had said that his lilac eyes were enchanting and mesmerizing, he had gone home and frantically scoured for his father's medical encyclopedias, trying to find a logical justification on the occurrence but to no avail.

Something at the back of his knowledge-saturated mind deduced that there was only one plausible explanation for the things he was feeling. Maybe it was that one thing scientists had never been successful in describing the way it worked or how it came to be.

Maybe it was love.

* * *

It turned out that Rei _did _look beautiful in the swimwear. As a matter of fact, he looked downright _breathtaking_; with his chiseled triceps, well sculpted biceps, prominent shoulder blades, defined washboard abs and that tight, _tight_ ass perfectly fitting into the bright red swim brief. Heck, even his thighs looked firm and taut, and as soon as Nagisa saw him, he had to suppress the urge to jump on Rei-chan right there and then. Thank heavens for Rei-chan's strict fitness training schedule.

"God, that ass looks edible…" The shorter boy did not realize that he was licking his lips and saying his thoughts out loud subconsciously. Rei, whose cheeks were bright pink from embarrassment, pretended to not hear the remark (all the while thinking _'was that a compliment or what?'_) and avoided Nagisa's hungry gaze. Meanwhile, Haruka sat quietly on the nearby bench, indifferent to the state of undressed Rei was in.

"W-will you please stop staring, Nagisa-kun? It's indecent."

"I'm sorry, Rei-chan, but you just look so delicious!" He replied humorously, hoping it sounded like a stupid joke, though it really was the truth.

Nagisa finally snapped out of his daydream (involving a flushed Rei-chan writhing underneath him and other rather inappropriate fantasies) when Makoto called out for Rei.

"I-it's my t-turn now." Flustered and desperate to just get away from the awkward situation, he made a run for the studio, stumbling and almost knocking Makoto over in the process.

* * *

Once in the studio, he was completely surrounded by white backdrops and had to squint his eyes at the bright light coming from the flash lamps. He knew that sufficient light was vital in producing crisp photographs with high resolutions, but he never knew 'sufficient' meant _this _much. There were also a few assistants running around adjusting the set.

"Ah, so you are the one Mizuno-san was harping on about. He said you're a rare gem." The photographer, who was cleaning his lens, greeted Rei with a smile.

"I wouldn't know about that..."Rei replied, wanting to add "So Mizuno is that old pervert's name?" but decided against it.

"Well, let's see what you've got. Stand over there please."

The cobalt-haired boy walked over towards the spot in front of the camera, trying hard to calm his pounding heartbeat. _'Calm down… I have gone through this chapter in the book. Just stand with legs slightly apart, torso slanting at 35 degrees and relax…'_

The make-up artist hurriedly went to apply touch-ups to Rei's already blemish-free face, lightly dusting bronzer on his jaws and highlights on his cheeks and nose. She did not have to do much, anyway, considering that Rei looked stunning even without make-up.

"Now give me your best pose."

"Like this?" He tried flexing his biceps according to the steps described in 'How to be A Model: Volume 1'. He had spent the whole night diligently reading the how-to book, and he could only hope he was doing it right, because being in the center of attention was not something Rei appreciated as it made him less alert and focused.

"That's right, place your left hand behind your head… Mm-hmm… Tilt your face towards the camera a bit… Yes, perfect! Now stay still!"

Rei did as told, tilting his face just a little and though he was oblivious to it, the angle of his head was exposing his creamy neck, making him look seductive without him even meaning to. The crimson-rimmed spectacles he had on matched the colour of his speedo, giving an added effect of sophisticated beauty.

Ryugazaki Rei was damn talented at modeling and the pitiable lad did not even realize it.

"Wow, you're totally rocking it, kid. You sure you've never done this before?" The photographer asked, hands still busy snapping away and occasionally asking his assistants to adjust the position of the lights. He was curious as to how this newbie could strike flawless poses, all of which were impeccably photogenic. The previous two boys were good, too, though the one with black hair had the same bored face for all shots, but this one was exceptionally first-rate.

"Indeed, I have the theory of modeling and the angles of the poses memorized, but other than that, I am inexperienced in this." Rei pushed his red-rimmed glasses further up the bridge of his nose out of habit. He was not trying to brag or anything. For him, everything must have a manual or a how-to book lying around somewhere; contents waiting to be read and techniques to be put into application. At first, he was feeling self-conscious and gawky, especially since he was so scarcely clothed, but he was definitely getting the hang of it; recalling and replicating the poses he had seen in those books he borrowed from the library for the sake of not failing miserably at this.

"You're a bookworm, huh? Your image is perfect for the new collection. Who knows, you might become famous soon!"

In the end, Rei's session lasted for a few hours (he was asked to wear various other colours, too) and they wound up going back almost in the evening. The poor boy pledged that he would never choose modeling as a possible career path.

* * *

The 'soon' that the photographer had envisioned came too fast, because a week later, the sports magazine with their photo shoot in it was released. On a particular day, Nagisa saw a few of his female classmates reading a magazine, muttering things like "I'd definitely tap that!" and "If only he was my boyfriend!" while giggling and squealing in delight. Of course, he paid them no heed; assuming that they were getting all excited about the usual male idols. It was when he saw the exact same publication displayed on the racks in a convenience store the next day and flipped through it that he realized that it was Rei-chan the girls were looking at, not any other sportsmen, singers or public figures.

Rei-chan.

_His_ Rei-chan.

Engulfed in fury, jealousy and driven by a powerful yet selfish urge to keep the sight to himself (and really, what a sight it was! Rei-chan was too sexy for his own good), Nagisa grabbed as many copies of the magazine as he could and dashed to the cashier, not bothering if he had bumped into a few other people. He was not going to let anyone see Rei-chan like that. At school, Rei-chan was an ordinary first-year student with nothing too interesting or eye-catching, but in the featured photo, he was exuding an aura of confidence and allure, almost as if he was a professional first-class model. If Rei-chan becomes popular and makes more friends, Nagisa would lose him; just like how he had lost the people he used to love. Rei-chan would find him unbearable, clingy and annoying, like a useless burden that needed to be chucked away, a troublesome hurdle he needed to jump over...

'_And then Rei-chan will leave me…'_

Nagisa's train of thoughts stopped as he reached the front of the queue. The cashier glanced at the heap of identical magazines on the counter and gave a suspicious look at him.

"Are you sure you want these?"

Nagisa looked at her and flashed a forced grin. "I am… I'm giving them to my… my friends! Yeah, that's right!"

The cashier took the excuse as convincing enough and complied, scanning each copy with such agonizingly slow pace (at least it seemed that way to the currently impatient Nagisa) and once he was done paying and burning a hole in his pocket, Nagisa ran all the way back home, desperately clutching the plastic bag filled with numerous copies of the magazine close to his chest.

'_Looks like those girls are going to need a __**little**__ reminder to not even think of taking someone else's property.'_

* * *

A/N: Uh-oh, what will Nagisa do?! Wow, I can't believe I ended this chapter with a cliffhanger (kinda). I think I exaggerated a bit on Rei's beauty and all, but really, he's just too adorable. Tell me what do you think of the story so far! Reviews and suggestions are welcomed :)


	6. Chapter 6: Kiss

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

A/N: Chapter 6 is finally here! College life has been pretty busy these few weeks, but I tried to find time to write~

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji. If I own it, I will never let it end!

* * *

When taking into consideration the tremendous difficulty his mother had to endure every morning in attempts of waking him up on time to go to school, one could easily know that Nagisa was definitely not a light sleeper. He was blessed with the ability to sleep anytime and anywhere, so insomnia was never in his life's dictionary. On normal occasions, the moment he laid his head on the fluffy pillow and switched off the lights, his mind would shut down automatically and he'd fall asleep instantly.

Nonetheless, tonight was an exception.

No matter how many times he tossed and turned on the queen sized bed, he could never find a position comfortable enough for him to rest peacefully. The main cause of his sudden restlessness was in the form of a bespectacled blue-haired boy who had conquered a substantial part of his thoughts ever since the day Nagisa had fallen in love with him.

Rolling over to lay on his side once more, his line of vision caught the stack of magazines well organized next to the nightstand and he let out a long sigh. He would have to hide those before his parents find out that he had been wasting money on magazines which he had no need for. That would surely anger them. And if they knew the real cause as to why Nagisa bought the magazines, well, he'd get an earful of nagging.

Nagisa ran a hand through his golden locks and sighed. "If Rei-chan finds out about this possessive side of me… What will he do?"

* * *

The classroom was almost empty except for a few other students who were packing their bags, ready to go home. Amakata-sensei had bought the materials needed for repairing their school's pool, so there would be club meeting in the evening. Rei-chan had gone to the library to return the books he had borrowed (which he refused to show Nagisa for certain unspecified reasons), and Nagisa figured it was the right time to carry out his plan.

"Hello there!" Nagisa put on the sweetest smile he could and approached the girl's table. She was with her usual group of friends, laughing about something insignificant. That screeching laugh was the one haunting him last night. "Do you, by any chance, still have the magazine you read yesterday?" He tilted his head a little in an attempt to appear innocent; a technique he had perfected over the years.

"Ah, of course, Nagisa-kun! You were in it too, right?" The brown-haired girl, whose name Nagisa was struggling to recall (was it Hikaru? Hikari?), answered enthusiastically.

"Yes, that's why I would like to see it!"

"Hold on, I'll get it for you." She rummaged her table, looking for the said magazine. It took quite some time for her to find it and when she finally did, she handed it to the blonde boy and smiled sheepishly. Her other friends had resumed their previous conversation, engrossed in their world of shoes, manicure and hairstyle.

"Hmmm… The photos turned out really nice, don't they?" Nagisa's fingers ran over the pictures, unconsciously tracing over the outlines.

"Yeap, and look at Ryugazaki-kun! I think his pose is the best. He looked sooooo handsome!"

Handsome? Well of course Rei-chan is handsome. Dashing, flawless, attractive, mesmerizing, _beautiful_.

'_But only__** I**__ am allowed to call him that.'_

Collective giggles were heard before one of the girls hopped off the table she was sitting on and approached Nagisa. With a shy smile on her rosy face, she slipped an envelope into his right hand and fidgeted a bit. Nagisa could already guess what she meant with the letter. The last girl he had dated back in middle school had also done the same; confessing through words written with cursive fonts on sweet-scented paper. It was surprisingly common for girls to confess first, and sure, the girl was cute and lovely, but Nagisa was not interested. The blonde boy was about to retaliate and reject the letter (because his heart belongs to Rei-chan now) but the girl started first.

"Umm, Nagisa-kun… You are best friends with Ryugazaki-kun, right? Could you please… you know… p-pass the letter to him?"

Nagisa's eyes widened in realization upon hearing her request. _'Oh hell no, she did not just ask me to help her get together with Rei-chan…'_

Something snapped in Nagisa. To admire Rei-chan and idolize him was one thing, but to directly attempt in seducing him? That was taking things a bit too far.

The cheerful boy's fake smile faltered in a split second, twisting into some kind of maniacal grin instead. Hikaru did not notice the sudden change in atmosphere as she went on and on about how she had never thought that there would be such talented and good-looking boys in her class. Nagisa's grip on the letter tightened and he slowly slipped the other hand into his pocket, taking out a lighter.

And the next thing they knew was that the magazine and the letter were on fire.

"What the heck are you doing?! That's mine, you know!" Hikaru shrieked out, staring at the flames rapidly swallowing her magazine whole. The letter –being only paper thin and made out of much more vulnerable material- had long since caught the fire completely and reduced to ashes. The strawberry scent emanating from the letter was quickly replaced with the choking smell of smoke.

"I'm sorry, but you're wrong._ He's mine_."

As the fire threatened to reach Nagisa's fingers, he dropped the burning magazine and it left a charred mark on the floor. The other girls had run out of the classroom, yelling and shouting in panic, unable to withstand the suffocating smoke filling up the air. Nagisa smiled in satisfaction as he watched the girl who had given him the letter fall onto her knees, coughing and sobbing loudly while clutching the remnants of her letter, her palms tainted black from the carbon.

"You're crazy!" She cried out, hurling bits of ashes at Nagisa. The boy merely snickered and chuckled lightly before putting a pleasant smile onto his face once again.

"Maybe you're right, but I'm crazy only for Rei-chan!" He winked playfully and stuck out his tongue; his words sharp and mocking though his face innocent and childlike. It was enough to evoke fear and hatred in the girls, and that was exactly what he desired: for them to know the consequences of messing with his things. Grabbing his backpack from his seat, he rushed out of the classroom, ignoring the wails of the terrified girls.

Well, that should teach them a lesson.

* * *

As soon as Nagisa arrived at their school pool, he was greeted with a sight of an angry Rei holding a bucket of water in one hand and a packet of white-greyish powder in another. He was frowning, and Nagisa knew that he was going to get some scolding.

"Nagisa-kun, you're late! Haruka-senpai and Makoto-senpai have already started plastering a part of the pool!"

Still panting and huffing after all that running, Nagisa took a few deep breaths before finally speaking, muttering an apology. He made an excuse of being caught up with helping a teacher carry books on his way, and Rei accepted it without any suspicions. Surely he couldn't tell Rei-chan that he had just burned, crushed and trampled on a girl's hope because he was jealous, right?

Explaining his actions would mean telling Rei-chan the truth about his possessiveness, about the way he yearned to monopolize Rei, to make him his, and his only. It would be creepy, almost as bad as the disgusting feeling you get when you realized that you have an obsessive stalker. Well, if you count barging into one's house, taking secret photos and looking at one's returned library books to see his reading preferences as stalking, then yes, Nagisa was a stalker as well.

"Come on, then. We need to mix the plasters first." Rei dumped the packet he was holding into Nagisa's arms and proceeded to slowly descend into the dry pool. Though it had been deserted for quite some time, the ladder, the diving board and the pumps were still functioning. The only things that needed repairing were the chipped walls and removing the disgusting seaweed-looking outgrowths appearing from the cracks. Luckily for them, the gross parts of the job had been well taken care of by Haruka and Makoto (thanks to Haruka being eager for once and insisting on them starting the works one day earlier) so all that's left was the plastering.

"Listen, Nagisa-kun. We are using a mixture of cement and marble sand, so the suitable ratio of water to cement is 1 to 1. Add too much water and it will be less durable and more prone to cracking in the future." Unconsciously slipping into the 'know-it-all-Rei' mode, the blue-haired boy rambled on and on about the composition of the mixture, skilled hands applying adequate pressure onto the trowel, making sure the two materials homogenized in the bucket. Nagisa stared in awe, not quite sure whether to feel impressed or annoyed by Rei-chan's extensive general knowledge.

"…Excessive cement, on the other hand, will affect the movement of water in the pool, so be careful and don't—"

"Rei-chan."

"Yes, Nagisa-kun?" When Rei halted halfway and looked up to see Nagisa, he certainly did not expect the smaller one to dip his finger into the bucket and smear the grey liquid onto his nose. It took a while for Rei to digest what had happened as the cool spot on his nose gradually hardened. Nagisa smiled mischievously, his naughty hand already at the brink of dipping into the bucket once again. Rei grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Don't. You. Dare." Gritting the warning through his teeth, Rei tightened his grip onto Nagisa's hand, but the self-proclaimed genius was forgetting that a normal human has two hands. By the time he realized this fact, that other limb of Nagisa is now already fully covered in plaster mixture, smearing some of it onto his cheeks. Some even got on his glasses, partially obscuring his view.

"Ahahaha! Look at you, Rei-chan! Your glasses are white!" The blonde chuckled heartily, clutching at his sides at he broke into a fit of laughter. Had the circumstances been different, seeing (more like half-seeing, since his glasses are dirtied) Nagisa laugh with such childlike joy would have made Rei's heart flip in unexplained happiness, but this time was different.

This time, it meant war.

Rational and sensible thinking long gone, Rei scooped out a handful of the liquid cement and threw it at Nagisa, who immediately stopped laughing, eyes widened in shock. It was clear that the counterattack had caught him off guard, but it took him only a second to return to his playful behavior, pink eyes sparkling in delight at Rei's willingness to go along with his game.

"Take that! You started this first, Nagisa-kun!"

"Ahhh! Not fair, you aimed at my blind spot!"

"Well, you threw some at my glasses! Now I'm half-blind!"

They continued fooling around, oblivious to Haruka and Makoto leaving the pool to get more cement packets from Amakata-sensei's car. Laughter rang in the air, with occasional banters and yells exchanged between the two boys. It was a blissful feeling Rei had never experienced before; to be so carefree and cheery. A dignified and uptight part of his mind was screaming at him to stop the nonsense and get back to work, but the lively and childish part of him (which had been hidden for so long, until Nagisa came around) yearned for this.

"Hahaha! Nice one, Rei-chan! I'll get back at ya— ahhh!"

At that moment, Rei swore that he hated the clumsy side of Nagisa with a passion. Sure enough, the floor was wet and slippery due to the spilled water and plaster mixture, and the chances of one falling down -especially if you were running around like Nagisa- were exceptionally high. But those were unacceptable excuses to explain as to why Rei was lying on the floor, back flat and pressed hard onto the cool surface, with a petite blonde on top of him, straddling him in a rather suggestive fashion. Their significant height difference served to make things worse as it made it easier for Rei to hold Nagisa in an accidental embrace (later Rei argued with himself that _'the hands wrapping around Nagisa' s thin waist was a reflex to protect him from the impact of the fall'_) and their faces ended up merely inches apart.

Screw that, it was probably only a few millimeters, because Rei could practically _feel_ Nagisa' breath ghosting on his lips.

Time seemed to have paused.

Violet orbs stared into dark pink ones, and Nagisa's heartbeat was getting so loud that it echoed in his own ears, his body and face heating up at their extremely close proximity. He could have pulled away in an instant, could have sat up straight and pretended nothing had happened, and maybe that way they would remain friends. But was he contented with being just friends, and nothing more?

Something told Nagisa that _no, it was not enough. _He _wanted _Rei, in more ways than one.

So he leaned in and brushed his lips against Rei's; gently and feather-like. His small palms (which were still covered in disgusting white blobs) rested on either side of Rei's head while the stunned boy beneath him remained stoned, unable to react properly to the unexpected kiss. Though it was only a peck on the lips, it sent a surge of warmth creeping up from the point of contact, shooting straight at his heart, much like the time when Rei first held his hand. Their eyes fluttered close, and because Nagisa had yet to muster the courage to deepen the kiss, he opted to just linger on Rei's lips.

Rei did nothing to push Nagisa away, because it felt good. It felt right, like those lips were perfect complementary to his, and Rei could not fathom why.

Nagisa pulled away from the kiss and stood up abruptly when he heard faint voices approaching the pool, and his reluctant lips immediately grew cold, already missing the warmth and comfort Rei's had provided.

When Makoto and Haruka walked in, each carrying a few plastic bags, Rei was reminded of the task they were supposed to complete and finally noticed the mess they had made.

"Ryugazaki-kun? Nagisa? What happened?" Makoto asked, puzzled by the state of disarray the pair was in.

"I-it's nothing. Nagisa-kun just stepped on a puddle and slipped…"

Well, at least he wasn't lying _completely_.

"Be more careful next time, okay? We wouldn't want to waste the materials… That is, unless you're willing to do more modeling."

Rei shivered at the thought of having to wear speedos again, while Nagisa scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. They resumed repairing the pool in uncomfortable silence (after cleaning up, of course, since no one wanted hardened cement on their faces), both too embarrassed from the prior incident and too preoccupied with their own thoughts and inner turmoil.

It was safe to say that neither got enough sleep that night.

* * *

A/N: Sorry if I disappointed you with the lack of violence/possessiveness, because I do think that Nagisa will not be that harsh when dealing with girls. Just a little fluff added in this time. And I think I'll definitely have to raise the rating soon. Dang it, I can't believe Free is ending already! Let's hope for a second season ;) Reviews/criticisms/comments/suggestions are welcomed!


	7. Chapter 7: Dream

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

A/N: Procrastination and college matters is the worst combination. Sorry for the super late update! Oh and there's a particularly intimate scene in this one (but it's still T-rated, _I think_), hope you don't mind.

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji.

* * *

"Rei-chan…"

A voice called out for him –distant, soft and barely audible- but there was no one in sight. Rei looked around and realized that he was in an unrecognizable house; a place he was sure he had never stepped his foot in. And yet he was maneuvering through the empty corridors like an expert, instinctively going up the staircase and heading towards the source of the voice.

"Rei-chan… Over here…"

The voice resounded louder and louder as he approached the room at the end of the second floor corridor. He stopped in front of the door, hesitantly reaching out for the knob with trembling hands. Despite his sophisticated look, fear still resided in his heart, and the mysterious voice calling his name repeatedly only served to heighten his fear.

When he finally opened the door, he sighed in relief as he saw a boy with a familiar tuft of golden hair sitting on the bed, smiling. _'Thank god it's just Nagisa…'_

"What are you doing here, Nagisa-kun? And where is this place?"

Nagisa only remained silent and stood up to walk towards Rei. He grabbed Rei's hand harshly and pulled the blue-haired boy to the bed. The taller boy was pushed down roughly -his head cushioned by the fluffy pillows and the firm mattress- and Nagisa immediately straddled him in a position akin to the one they were in yesterday.

Speaking of yesterday, Rei recalled the kiss they had shared. It had been bugging him the whole night, and he was desperate to ask whether or not it was accidental and was there a different meaning to it. Sure, Nagisa had pecked him on the cheeks a few times when he was excited about something (completely platonic, or so Rei had thought), but a kiss on the lips –according to the body language books he had frantically read in his panic yesterday- was a symbol of love and affection.

Rei opened his mouth to ask only to find himself unable to speak, almost as if his voice had been taken away.

Nagisa, who had by now worn a wicked smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes, ran his long fingers along Rei's jaw, brushing lightly over his lips, then moving down to trace his Adam's apple and stopped to hover above his collarbones. The light caresses left tingling subdued sensations in its trail and Rei was almost 87% sure that his touch receptors were strangely getting more and more sensitive with each passing second.

'_Something is definitely wrong.'_ Rei's gears in his mind turned viciously, trying to search for any explanation the current situation. _'Nagisa-kun would never do something like this. Is he drunk? No, he's not one to be drinking alcohol… Could it be that he was possessed by a lecherous spiritual entity?!'_

Rei's inner monologue was cut short when Nagisa took off his red-rimmed glasses and set them on the nightstand. He struggled to break free and escape from this seemingly possessed Nagisa's captivity, but the current Nagisa was strong; _too strong, _even. The blonde boy continued his ministrations on his prey; unbuttoning Rei's blue shirt and running cool fingers over his torso, pinkish eyes darkened with lust. Rei's breaths started coming out in short pants, his heart pumping at a maddeningly fast pace with each fleeting touches Nagisa' fingers left on his body. Something was stirring to life down under.

"Shhh, Rei-chan. I'll make you feel good."

Nagisa leaned over to whisper seductively into his ear, licking the shell of his earlobe then blowing softly, and Rei gasped. Forcing himself to avoid Nagisa's piercing stare (and thinking _'why the heck was he so sexy licking his lips like that?!'_), Rei closed his eyes, feeling every bones and fiber in his body melting under the smaller one's touch. The moments that followed were recorded as a huge jumbled mess in Rei's mind as he experienced pleasure of a terrifying degree, his rational thinking clouded and hazed by with desire.

Somehow, at some point, Rei had responded towards Nagisa's seductive caresses positively and soon he turned the tables. He rolled them over so that he was on top of the currently breathless blonde boy and returned the favour, relishing in the feeling of soft skin shivering and tensing when he brushed over the sensitive pressure points.

Rei was desperate for more, but for once in his life, he felt clueless. _'I know how it works between heterosexual couples but this… how should I continue?!'_

"Rei-chan… Aahnn.. Give me… m-more.."

Nagisa was writhing underneath him; face flushed, half-lidded eyes glazing with tears of pleasure and a thin line of saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. It seemed that he had forgotten how to swallow, and the usual Rei would have been disgusted by this sight that was, of course, not beautiful at all. On the contrary, he was getting more excited and enticed; pants getting impossibly tighter and uncomfortable.

"Hurry, Rei-chan… Hold me."

Hearing the softly uttered wanton request, Rei stopped hesitating and proceeded to experimentally grind his hips against Nagisa's, earning him a loud moan from the other. He took the liberty to interpret the moan as a green light (and that he was doing this the right way) and placed his hands underneath Nagisa's thighs, lifting and wrapping the long slender limbs around his waist. By now, all coherent thoughts and questions had left Rei's mind; no longer was he worried about how he had arrived at the foreign house in the first place, why was Nagisa acting so lewd and goddamn sexy or why were they engaging in an act only lovers were meant to do. All he could think about was how perfectly compatible their bodies were and _god_, he _needed_ more of this, _needed _more of Nagisa so _so __bad_.

Nagisa reciprocated to the increased pace; lifting up his hips in tandem to meet Rei's fervent thrusts. He had already been reduced to a sweaty, panting and moaning mess, and Rei had completely forgotten all the reasons as to why he was feverishly humping Nagisa, of all people.

Rei was pretty sure that by the time he regained his voice, he could only produce animalistic grunts, pathetic whimpers and lustful moans. The bed ('_Whose bed was it?', _Rei wondered) creaked under their bodies with each frenzy thrust and the headboard produced an obscenely loud repetitive sound upon contact with the wall. The friction of their clothed erections was too much, and the pleasure and warmth building up within him finally overflowed. Rei gave one particularly hard grind, rolling his hips _just right_ before coming with a loud cry and collapsing onto Nagisa, whose sounds of ecstasy, tightening legs around Rei's waist and beautifully arched back indicated that he had reached his completion as well.

"Rei-chan… Kiss me." Nagisa pleaded breathlessly.

One trembling hand reached up to stroke Rei's cheek tenderly, and the way Nagisa was staring at him so lovingly was almost unbearable. He leaned down to plant a warm kiss on the blonde boy's inviting lips, and since this time the kiss was of his own accord (unlike the forced one he had yesterday), Rei closed his eyes to savour the moment, feeling Nagisa's lips curl into a small satisfied smile.

When Rei opened his eyes, he found himself staring at his own bedroom's ceiling, and he blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Nagisa was nowhere to be seen; vanished into thin air as if he was merely a figment of Rei's wildest imaginations. He looked at the deformed black pillow lying next to him. Its shape was bent at funny angles, almost as if it had been crushed by a heavy weight or hugged very _very_ tightly by another person.

The uncomfortable wet and sticky sensations at his nether regions confirmed his suspicions. Rei's violet eyes widened considerably as the truth dawned upon him.

'_Did I just have a wet dream about Nagisa?!'_

* * *

Nagisa was uncharacteristically less talkative early that morning, but immediately returned to his usual self after sensing the awkward situation. At least he was still in a much better state than Rei; the poor boy had noticeable dark circles under his eyes –concrete evidence of his inability to fall back asleep after the disturbing dream he had- and even his crimson-rimmed spectacles could not fully hide them.

He had spent a good portion of the night pondering on the reasons that led towards him dreaming about _that, _but he was unable to come up with any tolerable explanations. He recalled reading somewhere that wet dreams usually involve people whom one hold a strong desire for, and boys would commonly dream of their crushes or idolized celebrities.

'_So does this mean that… I'm unconsciously __**yearning **__for him?' _Rei casted a side glance to look at the breaststroke swimmer who was showing no signs of shutting up, muttering animatedly about the delicious yakitori he had last night. Rei sighed and adjusted his glasses, though they were not threatening to slip or anything. The best way to settle this issue that was continuously bugging him was probably to confront the cause of it all.

"Nagisa-kun, we need to talk."

"But we are talking, Rei-chan."

"No, as in we need to _really_ talk_._ A meaningful talk. A discussion, of some sort."

Nagisa paused in his tracks to turn and look at Rei; his eyes did not hesitate to flash a hint of hurt. Did Rei-chan think that all the talking they were doing up to this point meaningless?

"Okay, I'm all ears. What do you want to talk about?"

Rei didn't expect Nagisa to agree so wholeheartedly to the idea of talking about serious matters for once, but he cleared his throat and said what was on his mind anyway.

"Yesterday, we… you know, _k-kissed._"

Nagisa flinched at the mention of the kiss. He did not regret it (how can he when Rei-chan's lips were even softer than he had imagined), but now he was afraid of the consequences of his reckless action._ 'So I was right… Rei-chan is bothered by the kiss.'_

"Mm-hmm. What about it?" He clutched his bag tighter, feeling his heart pound against his ribcage. Though he tried to appear nonchalant and unbothered, deep down inside, Nagisa was utterly scared. He was frightened that this would be the end, feared that Rei-chan was going to cut all ties with him.

Was it a mistake?

"You see, I just… I want to know. Why did you do that?"

Nagisa gulped nervously and fiddled with his watch, taking one glance at the time and noting that they still had around 15 minutes before school starts. He had wanted to avoid discussing the matter altogether, but judging from the determined expression Rei-chan was wearing right now, it was clear that Rei-chan would not let go of the topic until he was satisfied with the answer: an answer that Nagisa could not provide.

"I just thought that your lips looked really soft, like a girl's!"

The real reason behind the kiss was simple: he just wanted to. In any case, it was absolutely normal to want to kiss the person you're in love with, right? Nevertheless, the answer he gave was true, too. Those pinkish lips did look tempting and inviting.

"Then, are you saying that you would go around kissing any lips that looked soft?"

Nagisa's eyes widened upon hearing the question. Was Rei-chan implying that he was a Casanova?!

"What? No no no, it's just you Rei-chan!" He flailed his arms in front of him in a panicked gesture, shaking his head vigorously to further emphasize his denial.

"Why is it only me?" Rei pressed on; curiousity getting the better of him.

It was apparent that Nagisa was struggling to come up with a proper reply because he fidgeted and tore his eyes away from Rei's burning gaze; an action he would make only at times when he was hesitating in his words. He contemplated: Should he confess right away and tell Rei-chan that the kiss was a proof of his love, or shouldn't he?

"Because you're… special. It wouldn't feel right with other people." It was more of a neutral answer, but Nagisa couldn't help the loud thundering heartbeat of his as he waited for any signs of discomfort or disapproval from Rei. There was nothing in Rei's expression that could give away what his actual feelings were, except for the faint hint of pink dusting his cheeks.

"..glad."

Rei's reply came out mumbled and sounded more like a grumble, so Nagisa had to ask Rei to repeat, which he did, albeit half-heartedly.

"I'm _glad_ that… you know… it's just me." Rei said it louder and clearer this time. He scoffed, pushed his glasses (with a shaky hand) and started walking towards school at an abnormally fast pace, leaving behind a furiously blushing Nagisa.

After recovering from the momentary shock (honestly, he did not expect Rei's words at all), Nagisa wasted no time and ran forward to catch up, glomping the azure haired boy from behind with a screeching "Rei-chaaaaan!".

That morning, Rei learnt that walking 3km from the train station to school with a fully grown person latching onto you throughout the whole journey is a difficult task and, not to mention, embarrassing. But he endured it anyway, because the beaming smile Nagisa had plastered on his face was worth all the trouble.

Well, at least he got his answer, for now. He'd still have to find a way to calm his racing heart and stop remembering the dream he had, though.

* * *

Miraculously, they managed to arrive at school on time even though the painstaking journey of dragging a clingy Nagisa along had slowed them down a bit. A few hundred meters before they approached the school compound, Nagisa had reluctantly detached himself from his vice grip on Rei and walked beside him instead. Sure, he wanted to label Rei as _his _and openly display his devoted affection, but he didn't want Rei-chan to be uncomfortable under their schoolmates' judgmental gazes.

"Rei-chan, go ahead to class first, okay? I think I need to take a dump."

Before Rei even got the chance to nag at Nagisa to stop being so straightforward about everything and be more subtle about his personal matters, the boy had already dumped his bag onto Rei's unwilling hands and scurried to the nearest washroom. Sighing tiredly, Rei trudged on to their classroom on the second floor, slinging Nagisa's orange backpack onto his green one and only noticing how unbelievably light the bag was compared to his.

'_Seriously, what does this guy bring to school, anyway? Did he leave all of his books in the class locker? That means he never does his homework...'_

It was not a surprising fact, actually, considering that the jubilant blonde always borrowed his homework and assignments the day (and sometimes, on more severe occasions, a few _hours_) before the deadline, using a lame excuse of wanting to 'compare the answers'. Rei was reminded of the History handouts he had lent to Nagisa that were yet to be returned and approached the table to drop Nagisa's bag, when suddenly something caught his eyes.

There were words scribbled on Nagisa's table in varying handwritings (which were most definitely not Nagisa's, because the boy's handwriting was almost unintelligible), some written in bold using permanent markers, some less visible as the chalk dust had worn off.

The fact that the table's surface was fully covered in these words was much less shocking than the meaning that these words carried. Upon closer inspection, Rei found that they were insults; menacing remarks and hurtful curse words guaranteed to turn even the most beautiful smile into a sad scowl. The words overlapped each other, but he could still make out a few.

_'_ANNOYING BASTARD'

'Go kill yourself, stupid!'

'FAKE'

'I HATE YOU'

'FAG'

Rei felt his heart clench painfully as he read the offensive insults. Were these really directed to Nagisa? To Hazuki Nagisa, who was always so cheerful, likeable and adored by many for his friendly personality? It all seemed so surreal, because as far as he had known from sociological theories, these name-calling and intense hatred could only blossom from an action the person had done previously; something that could spark hate and loathing.

Rei noticed that his hands were already curling into fists as he tried to regain his composure. The throbbing pain in his chest had yet to subside. Well, it certainly felt as if he was the one getting insulted.

'_What on earth did Nagisa-kun do to deserve this?'_

* * *

A/N: Oh god I fail badly at writing steamy scenes. Sorry if it made you cringe in horror or anything. Some angst is coming soon, but I promise it'll end on a happy note! I think you can guess who was behind all the insults? *hint* revenge *hint* Hope you'll continue reading~ Reviews are welcomed :)


	8. Chapter 8: Strange

**He's Mine**

**Pairing: Nagisa/Rei**

A/N: Good news! My finals are ending on 6th November (goodbye college!), so after that, I'll have a long break and the updates will be regular :') By the looks of how the plot is progressing right now, I'd say it's far from over... Hope you'll stick with me till the end!

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction of Free!, a light novel originally written by Kouji Ouji.

* * *

Rei-chan had been acting strange for the past few days, and Nagisa was having a bad feeling about it.

He had noticed the change in Rei-chan's behavior when he had went to Rei-chan's house early in the morning to leave for school. On normal occasions, they would have waited for each other at the intersection that separated their homes, though it was more often for Rei to be the one doing the waiting. Nagisa would arrive a little bit later, skipping with a piece of toast still halfway chewed in his mouth and chipper as always. This time, however, Nagisa was feeling particularly sweet and romantic, and he suspected that his mood for love might had been influenced by the chick flick he had watched last night, in which the young man fetched his girlfriend from home with a bouquet of flowers every morning.

'_Imagine how cute a starry-eyed and flustered Rei-chan will be when he sees me in front of his doorsteps, with a bouquet of fresh red roses and a charming smile!'_

He contemplated on doing the same (not that he's declaring that Rei-chan is his boyfriend, but yeah, they're getting there) but for now, the idea seemed a bit too far-fetched.

Much to Nagisa's chagrin, his enthusiasm was met with Mrs Ryugazaki smiling apologetically.

"Sorry, dear, but Rei already left earlier. He said he needed to return some books that were overdue. I hope you're fine with going by yourself?"

Her voice was calm and soothing as she ruffled and patted Nagisa's golden hair lovingly, and the petite boy melted under the affectionate touch.

"It's okay, I understand! Thank you for telling me!" Nagisa responded in a sing-song voice and proceeded to walk to the train station alone.

So much for a romantic morning.

It would've sounded like a logical and believable excuse for Rei-chan to break their habit of going to school together, except that it wasn't, because Nagisa knew that Rei-chan never kept a book until it is overdue. More often than not, the theory-obsessed bookworm would've kept his nose buried in the latest books he had borrowed and finish them in less than a few hours. Even if he brings the books back home, he _never_ exceeds the due date.

Another queer thing about this whole 'Rei-chan leaving home early to return books' conspiracy was that Iwatobi High's library system would only be active from 8 am onwards. It was barely even 7, so if Rei-chan were to insert the books into the drop box now, the smartcode wouldn't be detected and it would still be considered as checked out. Besides, based on his observations (through stalking, though Nagisa tried hard to deny this) Rei-chan always returned books after school; it was more convenient that way.

He wasn't saying that Mrs. Ryugazaki was lying; she was always so honest and sincere, but Rei-chan most definitely had something up his sleeves to come up with an excuse like that. Nagisa could _sense_ it.

Although Nagisa was notorious for being an airhead most of the time, there were important occasions in which he could think properly and delve deeper, pinpointing the details and making inferences. After spending a good portion of his time around an outstandingly knowledgeable person (Rei-chan, of course, who else?), it was only natural that some of the wisdom would rub off on him.

With no one to chat to, time seemed to flow at a frustratingly slow pace and the train ride felt perpetual. _ 'Was the journey always this long?' _Nagisa mused, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. It was then that it dawned on him how much Rei-chan's existence had affected him. It might sound a tad bit too dramatic and sappy, but for him, the blue-haired boy was like the missing puzzle piece he had always been looking for and couldn't bear losing; not when he had finally allowed himself to fall in love again.

He sighed when the middle-aged salaryman sitting next to him (on the seat that was usually occupied by Rei-chan) started nodding off, his head threatening to fall on top of Nagisa's and his thinning hair brushing against the flaxen-haired boy's shoulder. Nagisa inched away from the man and gazed out of the clear window to absent-mindedly watch the blurred scenery of Iwatobi passing by, his mind falling into deep thoughts for the rest of the eerily silent ride to school.

'_Could it be that Rei-chan is trying to avoid me?'_

* * *

Rei-chan was acting weird again.

Nagisa arrived at school just in time before the school bell rang, and he was heaving by the time he reached his class. Upon entering the classroom, he was greeted by the sight of a scowling Rei-chan scrubbing vigorously at his table with a piece of blue cloth (the one he always carried around, so it seemed) and needless to say, Nagisa was intrigued. The other occupants of the classroom paid no heed to Rei's actions, as though it was a completely normal scene.

The sounds of hurried footsteps brought Rei out of his reverie and when he saw the familiar blonde heading towards him, he stopped scrubbing, instantly hiding the cloth behind his back and fiddling with his crimson glasses.

"There you are, Rei-chan!"

Launching himself at Rei to engulf the boy in a tight embrace, Nagisa nuzzled his face into the crook of Rei's neck, inhaling the faint citrus scent mixed with lemongrass that he had come to miss (though it had been merely a day since they last met). Rei groaned in annoyance, but still awkwardly wrapped his arms around Nagisa's waist, trying to ignore the warmth creeping onto his cheeks and the stares of their classmates. It was already a common occurrence and he was getting used to it, but the embarrassment was still there.

"What were you doing, anyway? I saw you scrubbing at my desk with all your might! You looked cute, all focused like that!" Nagisa beamed at him and Rei's face paled immediately.

Oh no.

He had to make sure that Nagisa didn't know about the insults and curses scribbled on his table every morning, at least not until he managed to find the culprit.

He had to protect Nagisa at all costs.

"Y-your table was… dusty." He coughed lightly, striving to chase away the lump forming in his throat. He had to somehow make this excuse believable. "Yes, it was dusty and filthy. It's not beautiful. And you know how I hate things that defy the rules of beauty." Rei was pretty sure that he was just rambling and spouting nonsense but he hoped Nagisa would buy it.

"Awww, that's so sweet of you, Rei-chan! But you shouldn't have, I could clean it on my own, you know?"

As Rei stared into the sparkling dark pink orbs gazing up at him with such visible adoration, he felt a painful twinge in his heart as he recalled the words scribbled on Nagisa's table this morning. How could someone hate this boy? His smile was so bright and beautiful, it could rival the sun!

Okay, maybe he was _kinda_ annoying at times, that Rei had to admit.

It was just like he had expected; the person who was doing it knew that Nagisa was unaware of the current circumstances and that Rei was trying to protect his feelings. Whoever it was that was responsible for this wretched way of conveying hatred and loathing, that person had seen Rei meticulously rubbing the words off every morning before Nagisa could see them, and was not pleased with it.

It _had_ to be someone from their class. Rei was 100% sure of it.

"Hey, Rei-chan, why did you leave earlier this morning? I felt sooooo lonely on the train…" Nagisa gushed on, pouting lightly. "There was this old man… His drool almost got on my uniform! And I nearly forgot to get down at the correct stop!"

The screeching sound of the sliding door opening startled them both (Rei could practically_ hear_ the ferum (III) oxide crusts clashing against each other; a signal that some oiling maintenance was due) and Nagisa unwillingly released his hold. Their homeroom teacher entered with the attendance file in her hand, and the sounds of shoes scuffling resounded in the classroom as the students scrambled to return to their respective seats. Rei did the same, but not before catching a glimpse of Nagisa's table to double-check in case there were any traces of the writings left.

Fortunately, there were none, and Rei sighed in relief. It was the right decision to bring a bottle of thinner to school, it made cleaning up much easier.

He started feeling a little bit relaxed, listening to the teacher taking attendance, until he heard someone snickered loudly within close proximity. Whipping his head around towards the source of the sound, Rei saw one of his classmates, Hikaru (who was seated two tables away from him) giggling and muttering something to her neighbouring friend, Yui. The two girls paused to look at Nagisa before laughing again.

Rei felt his eyes twitch and his instincts tingling. The girlish peals of laughter could insinuate a lot of things; perhaps she's crushing on Nagisa? Or was she mocking him for something? Either way, Rei was not pleased.

He could feel his inner detective awakening.

* * *

The once deserted and grubby sore excuse for a pool was now a long stretch of crystal clear water, tinted in an interesting shade of blue; cerulean mixed with cobalt, and it looked far more hospitable than it was before. The bluish colour was merely an illusion -a reflection of the endless sky soaring above them-, that much was already in Rei's knowledge, but he still couldn't stop thinking how beautiful the water looked like. At least now the idea of swimming in the pool didn't seem so bad.

The sound of water sloshing around as Nagisa plopped down at the edge of the pool and dipped his feet inside was among the few sounds that could be heard in the vacant area (save for Nagisa and him), the other being long strings of words coming from none other than the jubilant blonde. Rei made his way to sit next to Nagisa, coughing lightly when his shoulder brushed against Nagisa's.

"Mako-chan told me that they filled this pool with water yesterday. We can finally start our practice tomorrow! And there's also a tournament in 4 weeks…"

Rei _tried _to focus on what Nagisa was saying, he really did, but his mind was preoccupied with the scene he had witnessed in the class earlier. Detective Ryugazaki Rei was too busy weighing the circumstances and inferencing based on his observations.

Was Hikaru involved? If she was, then what could be the possible explanation as to why she hated Nagisa so much up to the point of trying to hurt his feelings? She always seemed like a nice, helpful person and she had quite a number of admirers. Though when looking from the other side of the coin, there's a possibility that she might be harbouring feelings for Nagisa...

'_Now that won't do, because then I will not get the chance to confess my own feelings to Nagisa…' _The bluenette paused to replay his thoughts in his head._ 'Wait a second, what __**feelings**__?' _Rei's violet eyes widened as he felt the brick of reality dropped on him._ 'Since when did I stop denying this?! I-it was supposed to be a teenage-hormonal-imbalance-phase kind of thing!'_

His cheeks were warming up considerably, and he was too far gone in his mental debate to notice that his blonde counterpart had stopped chattering and was waving a small hand in front of him enthusiastically.

"Rei-chan? Rei-chan, hellooo?" When the other boy did not respond to his call (_'Is that steam coming out from Rei-chan's head? And why is his face so red?'_), Nagisa sulked, supple cheeks puffed out in indignance at the disheartening notion that Rei was trying to ignore him. Slowly, he lowered his impish hands into the pool to scoop out a handful of water and leaned in to the unsuspecting boy, inching forwards until his lips stopped merely inches away from Rei's right ear.

"REI-CHAAAANN!" A shrill voice boomed in Rei's ear, accompanied by the sensation of cold liquid hitting his face (déjà vu much) and he leaped up instantly like a cat dropped in a bathtub filled with cold water; feet clambering in a futile attempt to find grip on the slippery ground and hands clawing in empty air to grasp at anything, just _anything_ to stabilize himself. He felt himself floating for a fraction of a second before tumbling down just as fast, inadvertently grabbing Nagisa's sleeves and dragging the boy along with him. Nagisa's dark pinkish orbs widened twice their size when he realized what was happening, but by then, it was too late.

Together, they fell into the depths of the pool.

* * *

The sudden heavy pressure exerted by the water was restricting his breathing and cutting off his oxygen supply, and all Rei could think of was '_I don't want to die'._

It was his first experience of being underwater, and Rei wanted to cry at the thought of it being his last.

The awe at the beauty of the translucent liquid that he had just admired a few moments ago was quickly morphing into fear. Caught off guard by Nagisa's piercing yell and even more so by their unceremonious fall, Rei started panicking on reflex. His limbs were getting heavier and heavier with each passing second as he started gradually sinking to the bottom of the pool.

Rei's lilac eyes could catch glimpses of little bubbles escaping from his mouth, increasing in size as they rose to the top. He struggled to make his way towards the blinding rays of light and trail after the bubbles, moving his arms forward in smooth strokes and kicking with his legs in an awkward attempt at mimicking a swimmer. The theory was unquestionably perfect –his growing collection of swimming books taking up the space of his mini library was proof of that- but somehow it didn't work. He was still sinking like a rock (or to put it in a more sophisticated terminology; a submarine).

Nagisa was nowhere to be found, so Rei figured that he must have had swam away with ease. For a brief instance, the cobalt-haired boy felt envious at Nagisa for being able to do something that he, the almighty Rei, could not.

Why was Nagisa not coming to save him?

_'Oh. I forgot. He didn't know that I can't swim.'_

Well, Rei did not really blame Nagisa for this; the cheerful brat meant no harm and only wanted attention. Rei was partly to be held accountable as well, considering that he had been spacing out when he should have known that Nagisa despised being ignored and was very, _very _unpredictable.

'_How ironic, to be thinking of the person who had indirectly caused your death, right on the brink of death itself…' _

The strenuous burden on his lungs increased steadily and his mind started getting hazy (Rei's pretty sure his nerve cells are rapidly dying one by one now), his limbs going almost entirely numb. Rei knew that his heart was pumping at a maddening pace to strive to supply enough oxygen to all parts of his body, but with no input, there would be no output. Closing his stinging eyes and feeling water rushing into his opened mouth, Rei could practically _taste _the chlorine and he hated it.

He'd very much prefer the addicting taste of Nagisa's lips against his; with a tinge of the strawberry ice cream the boy seemed to be so fond of, and a sweet, indescribable flavor that was just so _Nagisa _(Rei always wondered if the blonde had lip balm on but never got the chance to ask). An intense wave of regret of not being able to kiss his love interest anymore assaulted his senses.

'_Ah, I really should have confessed earlier. And I still haven't solved the mystery…_'

Along with the fleeting regretful thought, the last thing that came to his mind was Nagisa:

Nagisa with his twinkling magenta eyes, Nagisa with those tempting luscious lips curved into a smile, Nagisa with that beautiful, _beautiful_ silky golden hair he had come to love so much, Nagisa with his melodious voice calling out for him so endearingly…

Rei could vaguely hear the muffled sound of someone screaming his name before his world went black as he succumbed to the feeling of water's ruthless claws reaching out to engulf him completely.

* * *

A/N: That last scene was loosely based on my own experience of drowning in a freakin' 1.5m pool because I panicked. I could stand upright in it easily, but the panic got to me. I rewrote this chapter twice, and trust me, I didn't mean to leave it hanging like that! It just... happened. Looks like Detective Rei will have to put his case on hold now! Just curious, what other things do you guys want to see Nagisa do when he's jealous? I have a few scenes in mind already (in fact, I'm writing it now) but I'd love to hear from my readers. ;)


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